After an evening of storms, rain and yes….you know it…salamanders, we rose early for breakfast and headed out on our adventures! On our travels, we stopped to view the behemoth ridgeline from a Blue Ridge Parkway overlook and watched the clouds gather, crest and envelop the peaks of the Black Mountains. It was awe inspiring. 

Our adventures today started with a visit to the highest point east of the Mississippi at Mount Mitchell with an elevation of 6684ft.

At the top, we were immersed in a climate similar to the forests of Nova Scotia, rather than the Southern Appalachians.  Our hike down from the summit was through a forest that at times seemed prehistoric. 

As we walked, we encountered numerous salamanders, including a Carolina Mountain Dusky guarding her eggs in a crack in the rock cliff.

In the forest of Mt. Mitchell we used the powerful technique of compare and contrast to learn about the dominant tree species here in the highest elevations— Spruce and Fir. We stopped amongst the mist-soaked moss to talk about the Spruce Fir Moss Spider, which is a miniature tarantula that lives in the mossy carpet that covers the forest floor. This tiny species of spider is on the endangered species list as its habitat is the sky islands of high elevations that stand isolated from each other in the Southern Appalachia. As development, climate change, acid rain and the infamous and deadly Balsam Wooly adelgid wreak havoc upon the isolated sky islands, this precious spider’s population is suffering. The SFM spider has become a “spokesperson” for the conservation efforts of preserving the Spruce Fir habitats. There’s even wrote a song about this moss dweller! (insert QR code here)

The icing on the cake was observing a wide array of colorful mushrooms that seem like they belong in German fairy tales.

After a delicious lunch on top of the highest mountain on the east coast, we transitioned from windy, cool, and misty conditions of autumn to hot, humid, and sunny summer conditions of NC.  The afternoon was spent at the South Toe River with non-game fisheries biologists from Wildlife Resource Commission, TR Russ and Mike Hutchison.  These amazing experts introduced us to the native species of the river using electrofishing techniques.  We observed Tennessee, Mirror, and Warpaint shiners, River Chubs, Greenfin and the Gilt darters, Central Stonerollers, and Sculpin.  Donning our snorkels, we submerged ourselves in the cool, crystal waters of the river to observe the fish in their natural setting. Folks, this is a must do on anyone’s list of adventures!  After a quick ice cream interlude, we headed back to camp.

While we worked in our journals or hiked the beautiful trails around our camp, our 3 chefs crafted an amazing dinner of burritos. The finest burritos in the Appalachians! We reflected and shared our experiences of the day in the refreshingly cool evening. ..Sorry folks, but this is where this post ends…we are off in search of nighttime salamanders!